Polar

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Polar, the popular name of Polar Electro Oy, is a manufacturer of sports training watches and computers, and developed the world's first wireless heart rate monitor

The company based in Kempele, Finland was founded in 1977 and now has 26 subsidiaries with 12,000 total employees worldwide manufacturing a range of heart rate monitoring devices and accessories for running, training and fitness.

In 1975, there was no accurate way to record heart rates during training, and the idea of a wireless, portable heart rate monitor was conceived on a cross country skiing track in Finland. Polar was founded in 1977, and filed its first patent for wireless heart rate measurement three years later. Its founder Seppo Säynäjäkangas was the inventor of the first wireless EKG heart rate monitor. In 1982, Polar launched the first ever wearable wire-free heart rate monitor, the Sport Tester PE 2000.

Polar technology and devices are widely used in various scientific studies as well as being adopted by many university research departments. In part due to its own history and the affiliation with universities and the scientific community, Polar offers a research co-operation program focused on supporting studies in exercise science.

In November 2015 Polar released its first wrist-worn heart rate monitor; the A360

Listening to your body is one thing, understanding what it is telling you is an altogether different story. Polar helps you get under the skin of your training. POLAR attributes it to a combination of expertise in sports, physiology and electronics, coupled with a deep understanding of customer needs. It’s no surprise then that POLAR has been leading the way in technological innovations and heart rate monitors since 1977.
And brand caters to all levels of fitness by offering a comprehensive product range, along with essential support and advice. Everything from improving an athlete’s sports performance to helping people enjoy a healthier lifestyle, and aiding rehabilitation and weight management.
This desire to be the best is made possible by ambitious and highly talented professionals who still believe as passionately in what the brand does today, as it did over 30 years ago. And POLAR’s success is clear to see. Today, Polar manufactures all products in its fully owned factories, has 26 subsidiaries globally and manages a distribution network supplying over 35,000 retail outlets in more than 80 countries. Now that’s what is called the power behind Polar.